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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCWS 01-21-1997 MINUTES . CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA WORKSESSION TUESDAY, JANUARY 21,1997 4:45 P.M. - ARMY RESERVE CENTER - 4655 LEXINGTON A VENUE NORTH CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Probst called to order the City Council Worksession at 4:50 p.m. Present were Mayor Dennis Probst, Councilmembers Beverly Aplikowski and Paul Malone; City Administrator, Brian Fritsinger; City Accountant, Terry Post; Public Works Superintendent, Dwayne Stafford; Community Development Director, Kevin Ringwald; Parks and Recreation Director, Cindy Walsh; and Administrative Secretary, Sheila Stowell. Councilmember Susan Keim arrived at 4:55 p.m. Councilmember Dale Hicks had previously notified Mayor Probst that he would not be available for the meeting. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA MOTION: Aplikowski moved and Malone seconded a motion to adopt the agenda for the January 21,1997 Worksession. The motion carried unanimously (3-0). CITY ISSUES - SHORT TERM ~ a. Discuss Final Preparation for Town Hall Meeting City Administrator Fritsinger reviewed a memorandum updating the City Council on the final preparations for the Town Hall meeting scheduled for Saturday, January 25, 1997. Mr. Fritsinger stated that staff was awaiting input from Councilmembers on their level of participation following the Mayor's "State of the City" address. Mayor Probst asked staffto clarify the involvement of existing committee members and Chairpersons. Mr. Pritsinger responded that all committee members had been invited. Mayor Probst directed staff to invite committee members to participate with staff at the information tables, if it seemed appropriate and committee members expressed an interest in participating. Mayor Probst asked for Council discussion on the possible topics outlined by staff, and requested cost savings on various staff projects. Several additional items were added to the list of discussion topics. Mayor Probst directed staff to make State Representative Phil Krinkie and Senator Linda Runbeck aware of the meeting and welcome their participation. Mayor Probst requested an update on the availability ofresults from the community . survey. Mr. Fritsinger responded that if the Council had a topic or two it wanted to focus on, a response could be tabulated on one or two specific questions and made available for the Town Hall meeting. However, the results of the entire survey would not be ARDEN HILLS ClTY COUNCIL WORKSESSION - JANUARY 2 I , 1997 2 . available. Mayor Probst again stated his sincere hope that the Town Hall meeting would foster more communication with residents and, residents would use this opportunity to discuss issues that affected them on a city-wide basis. Discussion ensued concerning committee structure and proposed future committees and task forces, with Councilmember Aplikowski expressing her concerns with the proposed committee application form and any misinterpretations the public may find with those standing committees listed, and no listing of task forces and/or committees which are pending creation. Councilmember Aplikowski stated that it seemed the majority ofthe committees on which she serves as Council Liaison were being eliminated, in addition to her being concerned with the way the city was saying "thank you" to those committee members who had served so faithfully. Councilmember Keim expressed concern that the Council had yet to set priorities, and until we hear from residents at the Town Hall meeting, the Council shouldn't be setting up task forces. . Mayor Probst asked that Councilmembers not become deadlocked with semantics, and the only real change was dropping the existing Human Rights Committee, with only the definitions and focus of several others changing and the addition ofa Youth Commission. Councilmembers again reviewed the proposed committee form. After further discussion, staff was directed to redraft the Committee Application form to be used at the Town Hall meeting to include proposed task forces as most recently proposed by Mayor Probst and reviewed by Councilmembers at the January 2, 1997 Council meeting, as shown below: STATUTORY COMMISSIONS . ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY . PLANNING COMMISSION COMMITTEES/COMMISSIONS . PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION . PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION . ARDEN HILLS YOUTH COMMISSION . BUSINESS RELATIONS COMMITTEE . FINANCE COMMlTTEE . NEWSLETTER COMMlTTEE . ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION - JANUARY 21, 1997 3 . TASK FORCES * CITY FACILITIES TASK FORCE * HIGHWAY 96 TASK FORCE * EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TASKFORCE . LAKE QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENT TASK FORCE . CITY COMMUNICATIONS TASK FORCE . COMMUNITY DIVERSITY TASK FORCE Mayor Probst discussed the value of a sign-in sheet at the Town Hall meeting to establish if a cross-section of the community was represented. It was determined that Mayor Probst could determine the representation by a show of hands during the formal portion of the meeting. Discussion took place regarding the acceptance of questions from the floor, or only through use of the questions sheets included in the program. It was the consensus of the Council that either form would be acceptable, provided no special interest groups attempted to monopolize the meeting. b. Gateway Business District . Community Development Director, Kevin Ringwald, reviewed several issues needing Council direction relating to the Gateway Business District. Items discussed included the small remnant property currently owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) still necessary for development of the Phase I building; groundbreaking for Phase I in early March of 1997 and the City's participation; City parcel acquisition for Phases II and III with purchase agreements expiring on March 31, 1997; street locations in the overall Master Plan, as well as signalization; and development of a plan for future acquisitions as TIF monies become available. Mr. Ringwald stated that a resolution clarifying the acquisition of the MnDOT parcel will be available for City Council action at the January 27,1997 Council meeting. It was the consensus of the Council that in order to recoup costs of property acquisition, demolition, environmental clean up and other expenses incurred by the city, staff negotiate the purchase price with a minimum selling price based on the remaining outstanding debt. Mr. Fritsinger stated that the city had been reimbursed by TIF funds in the past, and Mr. Post stated that the State would reinstate parcels to the TIF District when the Building Permits are pulled. Discussion took place regarding sewer access charge (SAC) credits related to the project. Mayor Probst directed staff to use these transactions as a trigger for commencing the . EDA as they relate to the broader picture and future planning for this area, and suggested that meetings be scheduled and the EDA formalized in the near future. ---..------------ ------ , ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORKSESSION - JANUARY 21., 1997 5 . the City's Liaison to the state Human Rights groups, and report back to the Council. CITY ISSUES - LONG TERM There were no long term city issues specifically addressed on the agenda, and Mr. Fritsinger suggested that the remaining portions of the agenda be used as an open forum for discussion purposes. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS Councilmember Keirn requested an update from Mr. Fritsinger on the City Hall project. Mr. Fritsinger stated that he had several meetings scheduled later this week in reference to this project. Mayor Probst again stated his directive to staff that formal meetings of the EDA be scheduled before or following the Council meetings for any necessary actions. Mr. Fritsinger suggested that, for the time being, the meetings be scheduled at 7:15 p.m., prior to the Council meetings, and that future scheduling would be completed in the near . future. City Treasurer Post reminded the Council that the 1996 Treasurer's Report would be presented to the Council at the January 27,1997 meeting. Councilmember Aplikowski advised Councilmembers that a second business luncheon including the EDC was scheduled for Noon on Thursday, February 27 at the Holiday Inn, with notices being sent in the next few weeks. Councilmember Malone advised the Council that his appointment to the Transportation Advisory Board would be forthcoming. Councilmember Malone also stated that, in his role as Council Liaison to the Public Safety and Works Committee, he was assisting them with several issues, including providing copies of the current Fire Contract and Assessment Policy for their review. Councilmember Aplikowski suggested that the Finance Committee and Public Safety and Works Committees both work in tandem in reviewing the Assessment Policy. Mayor Probst provided information to Councilmembers regarding several invitations and upcoming community meetings. ADJOURN . MOTION: Malone moved and Keirn seconded seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:02 p.m. The motion carried unanimously (4-0).